After locking in Ranger Suárez on a five-year deal, the Boston Red Sox looked like a natural landing spot for catcher J.T. Realmuto.
The connection made sense - Realmuto is close friends with Suárez, and despite the wear and tear that comes with catching, he's aged better than most at the position. But in the end, Realmuto chose familiarity and stability, re-upping with the Phillies on a three-year contract - a level of commitment Boston wasn’t ready to match for a player projected to back up Carlos Narváez.
With Realmuto off the board, the Red Sox pivoted quickly. Their attention turned to Victor Caratini, a switch-hitting veteran who could’ve been a meaningful upgrade over Connor Wong.
But that window closed almost as fast as it opened. Within minutes, Caratini inked a two-year deal with the Minnesota Twins, leaving Boston still searching for catching depth.
The Red Sox have been quietly exploring catcher options for months, dating back to last season’s trade deadline. Even with Narváez in the fold, they’ve been looking for a reliable second option behind the plate - someone who could share the workload or step in if needed. That search has now led them back to Wong, who, for the moment, stands as the backup catcher by default.
Now, let’s be honest - winning a roster spot by default isn’t the most inspiring narrative. But it doesn’t mean Wong is without value.
Yes, his 2025 season was rough - a career-low 39 wRC+ and continued questions about his defense didn’t help his case. But there’s important context here: Wong played through a nagging hand injury all year, one that required offseason surgery.
If he’s finally healthy, there’s reason to believe he can bounce back to the form he showed in 2023 and 2024, when he posted a respectable 95 wRC+ across those two seasons.
Even if you’re skeptical of a full rebound, the alternatives aren’t exactly game-changers. Free agency offers familiar names like Reese McGuire and Christian Vázquez, but neither brings much upside. McGuire profiles more as a third catcher at this point, and Vázquez hasn’t looked the same at the plate since leaving Boston in 2022.
There’s always the trade route - maybe Caratini’s arrival in Minnesota makes Ryan Jeffers expendable - but that kind of move would likely come at a steeper price than the Red Sox are willing to pay for a backup. Catching depth is a premium across the league, and it’s becoming increasingly rare for teams to carry two above-average backstops without giving up something significant in return.
The good news for Boston is that Narváez gives them a steady presence behind the plate. So while the backup role isn’t a glaring need, the team’s efforts to land Realmuto and Caratini show they’re not content to stand pat. Wong may hold the job for now, but if he doesn’t show signs of improvement early in the season, expect the Red Sox to revisit the market - and potentially pull the trigger on a move - before the trade deadline hits.